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The family of an Arizona State University student who disappeared during a trip to the Grand Canyon is urgently seeking public assistance just days before what should have been his graduation celebration.
Sandarsh Krishna, 26, last communicated with his family on April 27. He informed them of his plans to travel to Las Vegas, with a stopover at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. He was supposed to return in time for his final exams and a job interview, but he never made it back.
“We haven’t had any success in finding him,” shared his sister-in-law, Pooja Shivananjappa, in an interview with Fox 10 Phoenix.
The National Park Service reported that Krishna was last known to be in the vicinity of the Rim Trail off Hermit Road, situated between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point. This was between 4 p.m. on April 27 and 12 a.m. on April 28.
Krishna’s sudden disappearance has left his family searching for answers and hoping for any information that might lead to his whereabouts.
Investigators say Krishna, who had no known vehicle, may have been using a rideshare or taxi service. His cell phone data has not moved since the day he disappeared, according to his family.
“They’re doing the best they can, but unfortunately we do not have the exact location to see where he went missing,” Shivananjappa told the outlet.
Search and rescue teams are using ground crews, rope operations and aerial support to search for missing ASU student Sandarsh Krishna. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Search efforts have ramped up across the South Rim, with more than 30 search and rescue personnel deployed over several days.
Search crews continue to comb remote and hazardous areas of the canyon as the investigation into Krishna’s disappearance remains ongoing. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Crews are also using multiple techniques in the rugged terrain, including rim trail scanning, walk-down routes into the canyon, technical rope insertions, aerial reconnaissance flights and drone operations, park officials said.
Crews are deploying technical rope insertions and aerial reconnaissance as part of the ongoing search at the Grand Canyon. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Rangers are continuing to focus on the area along Hermit Road and surrounding sections of the rim as the search remains ongoing.
Officials say Krishna was last seen wearing athletic clothing and is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build, weighing about 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Sandarsh Krishna, an ASU graduate student, was last heard from April 27 during a trip to the Grand Canyon. His family says he was days away from graduation. (Grand Canyon National Park)
Investigators also say Krishna was believed to be carrying a black backpack before he disappeared. That backpack was later turned in to hotel staff at Bright Angel Lodge early on April 28.
Rangers are now working to identify and speak with the individual who turned in the backpack, saying the person may have information that could help narrow the search area. Authorities emphasized the individual is not considered a suspect.
Authorities are seeking to identify this individual, who returned a backpack believed to belong to Sandarsh Krishna. Officials say the person is not a suspect but may have information relevant to the investigation. (Grand Canyon National Park)
His family says they have also hired a private investigator as the search continues.
Krishna moved to Arizona from India in 2024 to pursue a master’s degree in computer science at ASU and was set to graduate May 9, the family told Fox 10 Phoenix. Loved ones describe him as bright, kind and deeply connected to his family.
“It’s impossible to not like him,” Shivananjappa said. “He has a helping hand… he has the heart of a kid.”
Anyone who may have seen Krishna or has information about his whereabouts between April 27 and April 28 is urged to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch tip line at 888-653-0009.